Material handling scaffold



United States Patent This invention relatesto Vmaterial handling. In a more specific aspect, this invention relates to handling wall `and ceiling `board Widely used for the interior walls and yceilngs'iof buildings. In a still more specific aspect, this "invention relates to a portable and height adjustable scaf- `fold havingmeans therewith to raise a sheet of wall and ceiling board from a position close to the floor to the position of work near the ceiling so that workers on the scafford can easily install the board in proper place.

i Material handling scaflolds and lift means are known in the art, and `some of them are primarily designed for 'use to handle wall and ceiling board to raise same to the 'Work position near the ceiling. The usual four foot by eight foot `gypsum core wall and ceiling board section is cumbersome, relatively heavy and requires several men to install same on ceiling joists, if such is done by hand.

These scaffoldsand other means of the prior art are inefficient and complicated, and are far too expensive for rthe usual sheetrock contractor. I have invented a very simple portable scaffold structure `to so handle wall and ceiling board. By unique and novel structural means I have invented a scaffold with board `raising means `which isextremely simple of structure, yet will efficiently .handle the .heavy and cumbersome gypsum core wall and ceiling board used so widely today. Mynew scaffold means is especially inexpensive to make and maintain.

The new scaffold for handling material of my inven- --tion `has a platform. A rack is mounted on this platform by lever means, the rack ybeing adapted to support a sheet of wall and ceiling board. The scaffold has means to `operate the lever means, and the scaffold can be easily used to lift a sheet of wall and ceiling board to work position upon operating the means to operate the `lever means.

' It is an object of my invention to provideinew material handling means.

' It is another object of this invention to provide new scaffold means for handling wall and ceiling board widely used for the interior walls and ceilings `of buildings.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide new, simple and inexpensive portable scaffold means hav ing means therewith to raise a sheet of wall and ceiling board from close to the floor to the ceiling work posi` tion.

Other objects and advantages of the new material handling means of my invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure.

Drawings accompany and are a part of this disclosure. These drawings depict preferred specific embodiments of the new materials handling scaffold of my invention, and itis to be understood that such drawings are not to unduly limit the scope of my invention.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a perspective view of a preferred specific embodiment of the new materials handling scaffold of my invention with the rack lowered.

Fig. 2 is an elevation view, partly cut away, of the scaffold of Fig. l showing the rack of the scaffold in partially raised position.

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Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the ladder and mounting means ofthescaffold of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of theupper rportion of the scaffold of Fig. 1, showing the rack raised.

Following is a discussion and description ofthe new m'aterails handling scaffold of my invention made with reference to the `drawings whereon the same `numeralsare used to indicate the same or-similar parts `or structure. The discussion and description is of preferred 'specific embodiments of my new `scaffold means to vhandle materials, Vand it is to be understood that such is not to unduly limit the scope of my invention.

The new scaffold of my invention fior handling materials depicted in the drawings has a platform preferably consisting of pipe frame 6 `and floor 8 which `rests on frame A6. Frame 6 canconveniently be made *from pipe members joined in any :suitable mannersuch as vby welding, or it can be made from rod, bar stock, etc., 'if desired, and `floor member 8 can be made from metal, wood, or the like, a sheet of 3z-inch plywood notched out for the scaffold members as `shown having been found desirable. The platform is preferablysupported ontelescoping leg members which have an outermember 10 and an inner member 12 `with holes 14therethrough to receive pin 16 so that the platform is fixedly adjustable as to height. These leg members can suitablybe pipe or channel iron members, or the like, attached in any suitable manner to the platform such as by plates 18 `mounted on pipe member 6 as shown, the pipes 6 and -leg members 12 being welded to plates 18. It is preferred to cross brace the legs by members 20, as shown, and such can conveniently be rods, or thelike, welded to leg members 10. The legs aremounted on wheels 22, which are preferably caster wheels, so that the `scaffold is easily movable on the job and from job to job. The scaffold has hollow railing holder pipe members 24 mounted on frame members 6in any suitable manner, such as by welding. The lower ends of the vertical members of railing sections 26 and end railing sections 28 slip into `uprights 24 to make the railing sectionsleasily installed and removed for moving the scaffold. The side rail sections are formed with centrally located notches open at the top as shown to accommodate lever arm 30.

The new movable scaffold of my inventionhas a frame -rack 32 made in any suitable manner, such as `from welded pipe or rod members, and the rack 32 is large enough to hold a four by eight-foot sheet 'of ceiling and wall board 34. The rack 32 supports the board 34 in vertical position due to ear members 36 against which one side of the board rests and hook 38, the bill of which tits over the opposite side edge of the board. Lever member 30 mounts rack 32 on the outer end of the lever by socket 40 attached to rack 32 in any suitable manner, such as by welding, -the end of lever 30 slipping into socket 40. I have found that no securinggmeans need be used, but, if desired, a set screw `in socket 4t) `can .be used. The inner` end of lever v'3ft-is pivotally attached to upright member 42 which is removably mounted in braced socket member 44, in turn mounted on frame members 6 in any suitable manner, such as by welding. I have found it desirable to brace lever 30 by rod or wire member 46 attached to the end portions thereof and spaced therefrom by bridge member 48.

Near the pivot point of lever 30 at the side of the platform so as to be out of the way, jack means 50, which are preferably hydraulic jack means, are mounted with the jack arm 52 pivotally attached to lever 30 and the jack base mounted on a projection 54 of upright member 42, so that the platform indirectly furnishes the backing for the jack in non-tipping relation thereto. As one skilled in the art can see, the new unique struc-` ture provides for the lever arm in lowered position to lie across'tlie platfori'n.v Jack 50 when operated raises .'th'eplatform for installing wall and ceiling board on Atwo heights of ceilings, Figs. 1 and 3 showing the ladded in These slip into bposition for the'platform in. its low position. The side.

railing 26 on the ladder v60 side has an opening formed therein'as shown so that workmen can easily step onto the platformv board 8`from ladder 60.

The scaffold is used. as follows tovraise a sheet of gypsum core ceiling and wall board into work positionv close .to the ceiling from aposition close tothe oor. vThe workmen place the Sheetrock on the raclt 32 in fthe .position of Fig. l with hook 38 in holding position 'with' the bill thereof over the edge of the board. One

man can easily do this. Then the jack 50 is operated, I

to pivot lever 30 to the position of Fig. 4, raising the rack and the board. A workman on the platform can easily do this. Upon releasing hook 38 workmen on the platform board 8 can nail the board 34 in position on the ceiling joists, and because of the unique structure, the entire area of they platform is free in which to move about. To lower the rack 32 for another sheet of Sheetrockf the pressure is released from the hydraulic jack liquid, and slowly preferably so that rack 32 slowly lowers. The new scaffold of my invention can be moved around easily, with 'the sheet of board in any position, so that itnis in most advantageous position for nailing the board to the joists.

i As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, modifications of the new materials handling scaffold of my invention can be made, or followed, in view of this discussion anddisclosure without departing from the spi-rit or scope of the specification and claims thereof.

I claim:

1. A scaffold for handling material, comprising, in combination, a platform supported by telescoping legs which are mounted on caster wheels, said legs being txedly adjustable as to length to vary the height of said platform and said platform being movable on said wheels, 'a rack having ear members projecting therefrom on one side thereof and a pivoted hook on the opposite side thereof, said rack adapted to' hold and support a sheet of-wall and ceiling board thereon in vertical position with one edge of said board in contact with said ears and the opposite edge of said board in the bill of said hook, a lever member rigidly attached in one end por- ,tion to said rack o n said side having said hook and in the other end portion pivotally attached to said platform .in the middle portion of a sidethereof so that when said v'rackis in loweredposition said lever member lies across said platform, hydraulic jack means mounted on and .supported by said platform, attached to said lever in said vadapted to raise and lower said rack with said sheet 'of wall and ceiling board thereon, railing members for said platform removably mounted thereon, and said scaffold adapted to raise said sheet of wall and ceiling board on said rack into approximate ceiling mounting position from a position close to the door upon operating said jack.

2. A scaffold for handling material, comprising, in combination, a movable platform adjustable as to height, a rack having ear members on one side and a hook on the opposite side, said rack adapted to hold andsupport a sheet of wall and ceiling board in vertical position with one edge of said board in contact with said ear members and the opposite edge in the bill of said hook, a lever member rigidly attached in one end portion to said rack on said side having said hook and in the other `end portion pivotally attached to said platform so that .approximate ceiling mounting position from a position close to the oor upon operating said rack means.

3. A scaffold for handling material, comprising, in combination, a movable platform adjustable in height, a rack having means therewith to hold and support a sheet of wall and ceiling board in vertical position, lever means rigidly attached in one end portion to said rack and pivotally attached in the other end portion to said platform so that when said rack is in lowered position ysaid lever means lies across said platform, and jack means supported by said platform and attached to said lever means, said scaffold adapted to elevate a sheet of wall and ceiling board on said rack from a position close to the floor to a position close to the ceiling upon operating said jack means.

4. A material handling scaffold, comprising, in combination, a platform, a rack having means therewithv to receive and hold a sheet of material in substantially vertical position when said rack is in lowered position, lever means pivotally attached in one end portion to` said platform and said rack mountable on the other end portion of said lever means to move therewith upon pivoting said lever means, said lever means mounted on said platform to be on one side portion thereof when in elevated position and to lie across said platform Awhen in said lowered position, and elevating means mounted on said platform and attached to said lever means, said scaffold adapted to elevate said sheet of material on said rack when same is mounted on said lever means from said lowered position to said elevated position with said sheet of material in substantially horizontal position upon operating said elevating means.

References Cited in the le of this patent` UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,443,349 vFoster June 15, 1948 

